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Each holiday has one central metaphor thatorchestrates myriad details into one coherent whole.(Greenberg)Faced with a festival whose narrative meaning is still being contested andlived through, what kind of metaphor might we find? Is there a way toevocatively and succinctly summarize and focus at least three sometimescontrastingnarratives? Greenberg's task is perhaps beyond us. It may be thata single "central metaphor" is too much to ask. (In our defense we might alsoask whether there is a consensus on the central metaphor of Purim, forexample?) Instead we should aim for an organizing theme. A set ofprinciples to give shape and depth to this annual celebration.In other words, what should Yom Ha'atzmaut be 'about'? It is clear that"Israel's Independence Day" is insufficient. This standard secular 'like anyother nation' approach ignores the extreme nature of the Jewish People'slack of independence prior to 1948, and does not sufficiently address theconnection between this event and the rest of the Jewish world. "Theemergence of the Jews from powerlessness" (Greenberg) would certainlytouch on an aspect of the creation of the State, but could equally refer toJewish political power in USA. It makes no reference to the specific placecalled Israel. "The significance of the establishment of Jewish Sovereignty ina place of ultimate importance to the Jewish People" would not be far off,but is thoroughly uninspiring. We need a theme that is intellectuallyengaging, broad enough to address all possible narratives of ChagHa'atzmaut, and resonant enough to inspire the imagination.We would suggest that Yom Ha'atzmaut should mark the following theme:– To be a free people in our land להיות עם חופשי בארצנוThis would allow us to focus on the four areas of Zionism that togetherwould suggest a unique aspect to Jewish existence.– To be – would address the way in which the creation of the State of להיותIsrael served and serves the survival or the Jewish people. To be in thesense of 'exist'. It would likewise explore the idea of 'normality' that Israelwas expected to engender. To be in the sense of 'let it be'…– People – would address the way in which Israel is connected to the עםJewish People culturally, historically, religiously. Where Israel expresses itsconnection to the Jewish world and its meaning. At the same time this subthemewould address the nature of Jewish collectivity.– Free – would address the nature of freedom as embodied in the חופשיcreation of the State. Not simply the freedom of Pesach, which celebrates afreedom from suffering and persecution, but also the very particular form offreedom that Statehood has brought: the freedom to take responsibility foroneself, the freedom to grant or refuse freedoms to others. Freedom wouldalso refer to the freedom to create, to innovate, and to renew.10
– In our land – would address the specificity of Israel as a בארצנוgeographical, political, and historical entity with deep significance to theJewish People. This sub-theme would also address the question ofownership: the proof of ownership and the expectations and responsibilityof 'owners'.Were we to remove the word People – עם – from this phrase, we would beleft with what was the Meretz slogan in favor of the Gay Pride March inJerusalem 2006. To be free in our land is a worthy aspiration that pays noheed to a shared Jewish collective. Were we to remove the word Free –– we might sum up the cultural non-military approach of R. Yochanan חופשיben Zachai, establishing Roman protection of Yavneh's scholars. Andremoval of In Our Land – בארצנו – would leave our Chag Ha'atzmaut themewith no reference to Israel!To our mind, the other advantage of this four-point organizing theme, isthat it can give respect to unresolved questions and concerns. To whatextent Israel has ensured the continued survival of the Jewish People‏,(עם)‏ how far Israel has strayed from or developed its culture ‏,(להיות)‏whether Israelis take full responsibility for their collective and individualactions ‏,(חופשי)‏ and a Diaspora Jew's connection to the land ‏(בארצנו)‏ – allthese are issues that can be aired and housed within this overall structure.In this way we bind "for the moment the opposing forces within thecommunity". Approaching this framework from the narrative of rupture, orpainful growth, we manage to draw our concerns for Israel into a higher anddeeper realm of consideration, so that the rupture aspect of the Israelnarrative need not be suffered or ignored, but honored.This four-point set of principles can also offer us an effective pathway intorejoicing. For no matter how one chooses to define our current situation,the Jewish People is closer to normality and more equipped to survive andfend for itself than it was before 1948 ‏,(להיות)‏ is more capable of acting asa collective ‏,(עם)‏ more free than ever in history ‏,(חופשי)‏ and living in theland of our forefathers ‏.(בארצנו)‏ Looking at Chag Ha'atzmaut through theseprinciples, we can find reason for joy as well as reflection.Designated ExperienceAs Schweid has pointed out, unlike other chagim, there is no commandmentfor the participants to enjoy themselves at CH. While we bow our headswith a smile before the stern Sukkot order " " – "And you shall behappy in your festival", there is no God-given instruction for the experienceof Yom Ha'atzmaut. This is, however, only half the story. The orthodox Jewnevertheless does not recite any prayers of contrition, and suspends thestrictures of the Omer for this day. No one has ever thought that YomHa'atzmaut should be anything other than a party: emotionally it is almostseen as the positive to Yom HaZikaron's negative.ושמחת בחגך11
Page 3 and 4: eing an Irish Catholic event. The l
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Page 13 and 14: past with the present" (Abrahams),

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